"Okay, Andrew, we're ready."
"I still can't see why they picked you over me!"
"Are you still whining about that? All Xander did was to meet me first at school, and I was asked instead of you! That's all, so just get over it! Besides, you've got your own job that lets you come with us."
"What's the holdup, guys?"
"No problem, uh, Buffy. Well, Andrew?"
"Fine! At three…one, two, three!"
The Sunnydale High school main hallway crowded with parents, excited children ready to be escorted on trick-or-treating tonight, and the older students volunteered for this by a certain troll-like principal also there abruptly ceased in both their conversations and movements when a familiar movie had its theme music soundtrack begin to play from around a side corridor corner ahead.
With everyone now looking there, their curiosity was rewarded when seven people strolled together in a group into the main hallway. Smiles and chuckles were made by many in the audience, who recognized them right away and appreciated all the thought put in their costumes and accessories for Halloween.
The seven samurai from Akira Kurosawa's epic black-and-white film spread out to advance side-by-side down the hallway towards where Principal Snyder was balefully awaiting them.
His temper only grew hotter at seeing that blasted Rupert Giles faithfully dressed up as the group's leader Kambei, down to the hairless skullcap due to the movie character having earlier shaved off his topknot.
The rest of the group consisted of various juvenile delinquents. There was Buffy Summers strutting along in scruffy garments and a messy black wig as Kikuchiyo, Toshiro Mifune's fake samurai character. Next to her in tidier clothes and a very proud expression for having come up with the whole idea was Willow Rosenberg as Kambei's lieutenant, Shichirōji. By his bestest bud, Alexander Harris as the inexperienced and youngest samurai Katsushirō was equally enjoying himself, considering he'd managed to talk everybody into Willow's big inspiration. On the other side of Mr. Giles was a stern-faced Cordelia Chase, who'd shocked every single Scooby Gang member by not only knowing and liking the film but also insisting on joining in. Naturally, she'd claimed the role of the most skilled swordfighter, that of Kyūzō. Rounding out the contingent alongside Cordelia were Daniel Osbourne as Gorōbei the archer and Jonathan Levinson clearly delighted to be playing Heihachi, the most popular of the samurai among themselves.
Taking up the rear, Andrew Wells carrying the boombox still playing the Seven Samurai soundtrack was considerably less pleased as could be seen by his quite grumpy face.
Snyder eyed the approaching group with inner loathing which he successfully concealed from anyone else there in the hallway crowd clearly approving of these people who'd taken great pains in their outfits tonight. They also seemed to be determined to stay in character throughout the entire encounter, given what a British librarian now did after stopping in front of the principal.
Addressing him in a rather dismissive tone while holding out a hand palm-up at waist level, Kambei announced, "We are here for our pay, bald one. As is only proper, a small sum from a small tyrant will be sufficient for us to guard these children. Or perhaps you have changed your mind and do not require our services tonight?"
Among the multitude of snickering this produced, Snyder almost exploded with rage. He still managed to keep his temper – barely – in sensing the audience expected him to play along. Fumbling in a pants pocket, the principal reluctantly produced a single quarter and dropped it into Rupert Giles' hand.
This came with a very evil glance which promised on Monday morning in the school library, there would indeed be a reckoning.
Putting away the coin in his Japanese clothing, Giles maintained his best deadpan during all this. Monday would take care of itself. For now, it was enough that Principal Snyder's night was absolutely ruined.
Meanwhile, time to gather up the children he and his charges were to escort around Sunnydale for the next several hours. Sometime during that event, as previously promised, Willow, Buffy, or Xander would finally explain where they'd gotten seven sets of samurai garments and seven katanas. The latter were all plastic replicas, of course, but Giles was still rather interested in the answer to these questions.
"Well?"
Walking over to where Kambei had called out to him while simultaneously regarding with puzzlement the small coin he was holding and rubbing the top of his shaven skull in matching bafflement with the other hand, Shichirōji shrugged.
"From the round-eye boy's babble – by the way, he has the oddest accent I've ever heard, all because of him wanting to understand anime in the original, whatever that means – you actually accepted payment for us protecting this place."
"I did?" Kambei doubtfully asked.
Shichirōji nodded, jerking a thumb at where the strange lad was regarding them all worshipfully where they were inexplicably standing outside at night in a totally unfamiliar street surrounded by buildings just as outlandish.
"He was very positive about it."
After saying this, Shichirōji looked thoughtful. "Could that be why our spirits took over these bodies? I mean, whatever I expected of the afterlife, turning into a young girl wasn't part of it!"
He ruefully glanced down at his new female form. Particularly startling to Shichirōji several moments ago while examining him- herself in a reflective glass was the bright red hair.
Shichirōji looked up at hearing his friend's drawn-out sigh. Now, at least that was the same. It meant Kambei had finally made up his mind and they would learn from him what to do next.
Indeed, their leader announced to everyone, "All right, I don't know what happened to us, where we are, and if we'll stay here any longer. I do know that we are samurai! Whatever the foe, whatever the battle, we shall defend and guard the helpless! Are you with me?"
"Hai!" came eagerly from Heihachi, Katsushirō, and Gorōbei. Even Kyūzō as another young woman performed a dignified nod.
That left only Kikuchiyo, who hadn't replied. In fact, that low-caste imposter had been remarkably quiet ever since they'd all appeared here…
Turning his- her head, Shichirōji grimaced in abrupt disgust at seeing what Kikuchiyo was continuously doing. Kambei's second-in-command snapped at Kikuchiyo, "Will you stop fondling yourself? Not only is it revolting, but if somehow the original owner of your body gets her hands on you, she'll rip your manhood off!"
Kikuchiyo unabashedly leered at Shichirōji. Even with an entirely new face, that sordid smirk was the same.
Keeping both sets of hands working busily away under the clothes Kikuchiyo had tucked a slender pair of arms into, he boasted, "I'm not going to pass up this chance! Any other girl I tried this on, she'd slap me silly!"